Marketlife Ministrieshttp://marketlifeministries.org
Marketlife MinistriesTue, 30 Jan 2018 17:02:51 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.14Departing From the Faithhttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/04/17/departing-from-the-faith/
Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:21:51 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=16231 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving […]]]>

1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

Don’t ever be shocked when people who claim to be believers abandon the faith that they profess. Remember, as Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “…Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Just because someone claims to be a believer does not necessarily mean that they have been “…justified by faith.” (Romans 5:1)

When people “depart from the faith”, they are not really leaving the faith, but they are simply showing that they never embraced the faith in the first place. Paul is not saying that some people become Christians, are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, are united to the Lord Jesus Christ, are truly relying and trusting in Christ alone for salvation, and then they lose their salvation. That is not at all what he is saying. Paul is talking about people who have made some sort of a profession of faith and then renounced the faith by abandoning the truth later on. Their apparent apostasy is not a sign that they have lost their faith, but rather that they never really experienced grace in the first place.

Remember, as Paul said in Romans 8:38, “…I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can separate God’s children from His saving arms!

True believers persevere! Believers persevere, not because they are better or more committed, but because God has promised to finish what He has started in them. God is always at work in the hearts and lives of His children, “…willing and working for His good pleasure in their lives.” (Philippians 2:13)
Thank God that the security of your salvation does not rest on your faithfulness, or your ability to hang in, but it rests upon the faithfulness of God.

]]>Saved by Gracehttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/04/07/saved-by-grace/
Tue, 07 Apr 2015 14:59:11 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1617Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we […]]]>

Ephesians 2:8“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

I think that most would agree that dead people cannot save themselves. They do not have the resources to get out of the coffin, and outside of a Lazarus-like divine intervention, they are going under the dirt. Paul has painted the picture clearly that unbelievers are “dead in the their trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1)

To make things even worse, unbelievers are also totally under the influence of Satan. Outside of Christ, everyone has been duped by the one who, “…prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8) And then, on top of that, all come in to this world, “…by nature children of wrath.”
When these realities of spiritual separation begin to set in, the gospel becomes of utmost importance. We need to be revived! We need to be raised from the dead! We need to be removed from the satanic influence that is controlling our lives! We need to be removed from beneath the wrath of God. It is at this point that the Grace of God steps in!

Paul said in Ephesians 2:8 that, “…it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God.” Salvation from sin is a gracious gift from God, not something that we earn, merit, or deserve. You want to understand how it is that you were saved? Don’t look at yourself but look at God’s free grace that He has given you in Christ!

Your salvation is not something that you have attained by your doing, but instead, it was given to you by God “…by grace through faith!” Salvation is not something that you received through the work of your hands, but you were saved through the instrument of trust. You just trusted God. By His grace He enabled you to throw your hands up and say, ‘Lord God, there is nothing that I can do to save myself, please have mercy and save.’

Take time today to thank God that He has done for your what you could not do for yourself. Even though you were “dead in your trespasses and sins”, He has made you alive by grace through faith!

]]>Your Story/His Glory?http://marketlifeministries.org/2015/04/07/your-storyhis-glory/
Tue, 07 Apr 2015 14:01:05 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1599Genesis 11:1 “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, […]]]>

Genesis 11:1“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'”

The story of the Tower of Babel reveals a group of people who had aspirations that went directly against the intentions of God for His people. Genesis 11 records that the people of the earth moved eastward to a place called Shinar, and it was there that they began to build a tower that would reach to the heavens. They had one goal in mind, which was to make a name for themselves.

However, God’s intention has always been that His creation would exalt His name. As a matter of fact, in Malachi 1:11 God says, “‘My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

As a result of their narcissistic intentions, God came down and confused their language and dispersed them over the face of all the earth, the exact thing that they were seeking to avoid.
It is important for you to know that God always gets what He wants. In Acts 1:8 Christ called His followers to be His witnesses in “…Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” He did not want them to all stay in Jerusalem and build their kingdoms, but He sent them worldwide that they might build His.

Although God dispersed the population throughout the earth in Genesis 11, He brought people from all over the world back together at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. He did this so that He might expose them to His gospel, draw them to Himself, and ironically enough, send them back out again.

What about you? What are your aspirations and goals that you want to see accomplished during your stay upon this earth? Are you living your life for your glory, or for the glory of God? Are you seeking to make a name for yourself, or do you desire to see the name of Christ lifted up and adored? How would those who know you best answer these questions?

If Christ has saved you, He has done so for the purpose of building His kingdom, not yours!

]]>The Heart is Deceitfulhttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/29/the-heart-is-deceitful/
Sun, 29 Mar 2015 12:07:27 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1504Genesis 2:15-16 “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree in the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” God’s command to Adam and Eve was […]]]>

Genesis 2:15-16 “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree in the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

God’s command to Adam and Eve was fairly simple and the consequences were spelled out. He had given them dominion over His entire creation and He had offered them access to all that they would ever need. His abundance was overwhelming and His goodness to them was indescribable, but their passions got the best of them. As a result of the temptation of the evil one, they disobeyed God’s clear commands and suffered the penalty that had already been laid out.

Adam and Eve came out of the rebellion physically unscathed, but their days were now numbered, and they were spiritually dead and separated from God. When they heard the sound of God in the garden in the cool of the day, they hid themselves, embarrassed by their nakedness and ashamed to be in the presence of their Creator. Their sin had created a wall between them and God, and the intimacy once enjoyed had been interrupted. Sin had now invaded God’s perfect world!

Adam’s rebellion has drastically impacted all of creation and all people. Paul said in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” We all come into this world dead in our sins, and that includes you! This becomes even more evident in Ephesians 2:1 where Paul says, “….and you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

It is vitally important for you and I to understand that apart from Christ we are spiritually dead and that sin is not simply something that is offered on the outside, but it is something that is going on within our hearts. I Samuel 16:7 says, concerning King David, that “…man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” Although some take this as good news, Jeremiah 17:9 says that “…the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Christ is the only one who can expose the deceit and heal your heart. He is the only one who can undo the damage done by Adam, because as I Corinthians 15:45 states, He is the “last Adam”.
Begin the day thanking God for the work of rescue that He has done in your life through faith, and be careful not to make the mistake of following your heart, but instead, follow His Spirit.

]]>Draw Nearhttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/24/draw-near/
Tue, 24 Mar 2015 11:55:48 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1493Hebrews 10:19 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw […]]]>

Hebrews 10:19 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

The book of Hebrews offers a welcome contrast for New Covenant believers that the Old Testament believers could only long to have. Just as Hebrews 10 invited New Covenant believers to draw near, the saints in the Old Testament were exhorted to stand back. As a matter of fact, in Exodus 19, at Mt. Sinai, God said to Moses, “10…go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.”

Why is there such a contrast between the Old Testament and the New Testament? Why were the people in the Old Testament told to stand back, while the saints in the New Testament were invited to draw near? It is because the wrath of God was not fully satisfied until the sacrifice of Christ had been made. Once Christ had made atonement and become our propitiation, believers are now able to come into the Presence of God, because “…having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.” (Romans 5:1)
In the Old Testament, because the once for all sacrifice of Christ had not been made, the people were still covered with their sins and therefore unable to draw close to a Holy God. However, because Christ, the One “…who knew no sin became sin”2 Corinthians 5:21,) the righteousness of God has now been imputed to our account and we can draw near to God without fear of death!

The author of Hebrews is exhorting you to take advantage of this glorious position. He is inviting you to “…draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22)

I would encourage you to do just that. Why? Because Christ has secured your position in the heavens. You are no longer judged by your sinful works, but by His sinless work!

]]>He Is Ablehttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/23/he-is-able/
Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:59:06 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1481Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” God is able to do so much more […]]]>

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

God is able to do so much more than you could ask or think! It is so easy in our lives in Christ in times of difficulty and success to approach God through His word and prayer as if He is not capable of graciously intervening in our circumstances. So many believers live their lives as if they have no hope. Paul is attempting to remind us of the incredible power of God. When we go to the Father in prayer, even an impossible prayer, His ability to answer is never in question. The only question that needs to be answered is if our prayer is according to our will, or His good and perfect will.

God is able to do more than you ask. Perhaps the biggest problem in your Christian life is not that you are asking for too much, but that you are asking for too little. God is able to strengthen you “…with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” (Ephesians 3:16) So ask Him! God is able to root you and ground you in His love, so ask Him! God is able to equip you “…to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”, so ask Him! (Ephesians 3:18-19)
How and where does God do this exceedingly abundant work? He does it by His Spirit, “…according to the power at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

God, by his Spirit, is able to liberate you from the sin that so easily entangles you. God, by his Spirit, is able to open the eyes of that lost person in your life that seems to be beyond His reach. God, by His Spirit, is able to heal the broken relationships in your life. Not only is God able to do these things, but He is able to do them in a way that is far beyond your own comprehension!

God is able! But Paul understood that when God begins to work, He does it for His glory and His glory alone. When God is truly at work, He is the One receiving the glory, not you.
Paul affirms this truth in the last verse, saying, “…21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:21)

]]>Limping Through Lifehttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/19/limping-through-life/
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:15:59 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1467Genesis 32:24 “And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.” The context of this passage is […]]]>

Genesis 32:24 “And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.”

The context of this passage is where Jacob was going to finally have to face Esau again, years after the deception. Jacob is now posed with a situation that is beyond his ability to manipulate. There was nothing that he could do that would guarantee a change of heart in Esau towards him. No matter how much he grovels before Esau, he cannot make Esau’s heart be soft towards him.

Exhausted with the possible consequences that his former sin was about to bring upon him, Jacob wanted to be alone. It was at this point that God in His great grace and mercy came to him. Jacob was at a point in his life when no scheme or deceit or trick could make up for his former sins. He needed divine intervention, and that is exactly what happened.

It was on this night that Jacob wrestled with God. This wrestling match lasted until daybreak. Although Jacob’s intention was to be blessed by God, God’s desire was to break Jacob. God broke him by dislocating his hip, and even though Jacob continued to wrestle, God’s victory was secure.
It was on this night that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel because he had “…striven with man and God, and prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28)

Isn’t it interesting that Jacob was in need of an intervention because of conflict that he had brought upon Himself, but God was in pursuit of a man that would carry out His promises. In the end, both purposes were accomplished. Jacob’s interaction with Esau was civil and peaceful, and God’s work through Jacob was abundant.

Regardless of the circumstances that you face in life, whether brought on by your own sin or by others, God’s desire is to conform you into His image. Just as God came to Jacob on this night to confirm His promises and conform his heart, God will be relentless to sanctify you by His Spirit through His word, prayer, relationships and your circumstances. He will even use your mistakes.

More than likely, for the rest of Jacob’s life his encounter with God would be reflected in his walk, or more precisely, in his limp. Is your relationship with Christ being reflected in your walk?

]]>True Religionhttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/18/true-religion/
Wed, 18 Mar 2015 11:35:15 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1464James 1:26 “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” In these latter […]]]>

James 1:26 “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

In these latter verses from the first chapter of James, he begins to move into the subject of “religion”. Although the word “religion” would have meant many things to his audience, this word ultimately represents the Christian faith. In other words, he says, true believers will bridle their tongues, care for orphans and widows, and keep themselves unstained from the world. James is not stating that all of the Christian faith is summed up in these verses, but he is saying that Christianity without these things is worthless, or not Christian at all.

True Christian faith results in a “bridled tongue”. (James 1:26) What this means is that as believers, we need to have a tight rein on our tongues. People who have “true religion”, or who have truly been saved, will manifest that saving faith through the things that they say, and do not say. The one whose tongue is loosely reigned “…deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)

James also says that true Christian faith that is “pure and undefiled” is “…to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27) In the ancient world, since there was no way for women and orphans to make money and there was no welfare system, God called His people to take care of the helpless. For instance, in Exodus 22:2, God commanded the people not to “…take advantage of a widow or orphan.” In Isaiah 1:17, God said, “…learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

Lastly, James says that true Christians keep themselves “…unstained from the world.” (James 1:27) The point that James is trying to make is that believers are to make every effort to keep themselves from being stained, spotted, or contaminated by the world.
Although believers were once estranged from God and attached to the world, through faith in Christ a great reversal has taken place. Because of the finished work of Christ, believers are now united with Christ and estranged from the world.

]]>I Will Remember Your Sins No Morehttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/17/i-will-remember-your-sins-no-more/
Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:57:13 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1460Hebrews 10:15 “And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and […]]]>

Hebrews 10:15 “And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

We are all born with a tendency to believe that in order for someone to be forgiven, they have to earn it. It is true that trust must be earned, and in many ways, forgiveness is the same. If you have ever been deeply wronged by another person, and then the relationship has been reconciled, it is hard to truly forgive until they have proven they are truly sorry.

the It is very easy to take that limited understanding of forgiveness into the Christian life. When we do that, and we sin and disobey God, we will find ourselves tempted to somehow prove to God that we are sorry in order that we might earn His forgiveness. The situation is compounded when we disobey again in the same way. At this point, the typical believer is not only filled with shame and doubt, but it also results in a tremendous level of guilt.

If you struggle with these tendencies, then these verses from Hebrews are for you. Remember, when you came into the Christian faith by grace through faith, you were guilty of every violation, yet God forgave you, not because of a prayer that you prayed, but because of the sacrifice that Christ had already made on your behalf. It was at that point that God said, “…I will put My laws on your heart, and write them on your minds” (Hebrews 10:16) Not only that, but regarding your former sins, He says, “…I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” (Hebrews 10:17) God is not in heaven holding you accountable for the sins that you committed as an unbeliever. In fact, He has forgotten them because they have been paid for by the blood of Christ!

Now that you are in Christ, you don’t need to try to earn forgiveness from God through personal sacrifice. Instead you need to learn to lean on the very sacrifice that saved you in the first place, Christ’s. It says in Hebrews 10:18, “…where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” God is not waiting on the proper prayer or sacrifice from you in order to grant forgiveness because you have already been forgiven. As a believer, you do not have to pay for sins that have already been atoned!

Praise God today that the sacrifice of Christ is not only sufficient for your past sins, but for your present and future sins as well.

]]>Quick to Hear and Slow to Speakhttp://marketlifeministries.org/2015/03/16/quick-to-hear-and-slow-to-speak/
Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:38:56 +0000http://marketlifeministries.org/?p=1450James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your […]]]>

James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

If you have trusted Christ for your salvation, then there is no doubt that you are always on the alert to see to it that your habits and your way of life conform to the truth of the Scriptures. When you do begin to veer to the left or the right, God by His Spirit will convict you and begin to draw you back. This way of life is best pictured in Philippians, where Paul said, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

One of the ways that we have been commanded to honor God is by being “…quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” (James 1:19) Your speech and your listening and your control of your emotions should give evidence to the new life that you have received in Christ. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Sometimes the best thing to do in a difficult conversation is just be quiet. Proverbs 26:20 says, “…for lack of wood, a fire goes out.” Untamed speech throws additional wood on an already raging fire. Proverbs 17:27 says, “…whoever restrains his words has knowledge and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” The quick-tempered person is the one who speaks without careful consideration. Uncontrolled anger leads to uncontrolled speech. The person who is wise in the Spirit and word must learn to control the emotion of anger and thereby eliminate one of the most common sources of unwise speech.

You need to put aside anything in your life that does not produce the “…righteousness of God.” (James 1:20) Therefore, you must “…put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness”, so that you can “… receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)